Wellbeing event – 10 years younger “inside and out”
We are holding a wellbeing event on 17th May at Homewood Park, Bath which has plenty to offer.
Join Zita Alves, who runs Zest Bootcamp and has been a Personal Trainer in Bath for 14 years, as she presents her secret tips on how to improve your health and wellbeing to feel and look younger, as well as losing a few pounds ready for summer.
Neals Yard Remedies will also be presenting their organic skincare range which include products for the whole family and you will have a chance to sample some of their award winning creams, make up and more.
Jan Lockett from Dress for Success is an experienced Image Consultant passionate about helping women and men look their absolute best. She will be sharing her knowledge and experience to help knock off years.
There will be complimentary drinks (non-alcoholic) and healthy canapes on arrival at 7pm, before presentations start at 7.30pm, as well as the chance to buy raffle tickets for some fabulous prizes including a spa day for two at the luxury Homewood Park spa, a month at Zest Bootcamp or on Zita’s on-line 21 day Shape up Plan, skincare, massage and many more kindly donated gifts. All proceeds from the raffle will go to Dorothy House Hospice Care. There will be an opportunity to have a tour of the new spa at the hotel and also take advantage of special offers available exclusively for attendees so this is an event not to miss!
Click on the E below to book your tickets – only 45 seats available
Easter Eggs to the Royal United Hospital in Bath
We decided that having Easter Eggs in the house might be too tempting for our bootcampers so what better way not to undo and the good work done in class than donate them to charity which is exactly what we did. Campers kindly donated over 40 eggs and Easter treats which we took to the Children’s Ward at the R.U.H in Bath the weekend after Easter (there was even a big box on Milk Tray for the nurses). They were extremely grateful as was I not to have a van full of chocolate anymore – such temptation!!
Thank you to all our lovely bootcampers and here is a photo of just some of the eggs – Louise and Louise were my lovely models for the photo after having done a pretty tough workout (hence the rosy cheeks).
ps The May 4 week bootcamp starts on Monday 30th April so if you have not yet burned off that Easter chocolate then come and join us for fat loss, fitness and fun in Bath and Midsomer Norton – book here
Weight loss training in New York City
Last month we had Andrew from New York on the 21 day shape up plan who was delighted to be able to get back into 6 pairs of jeans and not just 1 “fat” pair and feels so much better now ready for his Spring holiday. We also had Mum of 2 Kate who didn’t have much to lose but really toned up in the 3 weeks as well as other larger people who have lost significant amounts of weight and inches so that they have to buy new clothes. The next plan starts on Monday 12th and registration closes FRI 9th March so if you want to FEEL and LOOK better then click here to join
A few words from the February participants…
GT “you summed it up today when I bumped into you unexpectedly in town, you said I was ‘glowing’ I am indeed, with healthy eating and exercise now a big part of my life, that’s exactly how I feel, that I am ‘glowing’”
JJ – “ I don’t wobble when I walk up stairs! I’ve made a big effort to get the right amount of sleep and that’s made a huge differance to emergy levels/ mood and concentration. “
LO – “I have had so many comments this week about my weight loss and am really pleased. Please count me in for the next plan.I have bought a new pair of trousers today a size smaller & that’s the second pair since Jan,two dress sizes down“
KA – “ I also look more toned in the after photos – will help me stop fixating on what the scales say and actually concentrate on on what I’m looking/feeling like instead.’
Drop a dress size in 21 days
So January has been really busy and February even more so as people start their New Year fitness routines with vigour, but for many people who’d love to join bootcamp the class days/times don’t work with their schedules. This was the reason I decided to run a new on-line programme that gives 21 days of exercise and nutritional advice to get fantastic results. No need to belong to a gym, you can do the exercises in the comfort of your own home. Meal plans and recipes are easy to follow and the group support will keep you on track. There are videos of how to do the exercises with options for beginners.
Last month the average weight loss was 10lbs with one person losing over a stone in just 3 weeks.
LISA – “Lost 9lb & total of 7 inches. best news is that I bought a dress for a upcoming “do” and it is a size 12 – (normally a good size 14) whooo hooo.. Feel fitter and better generally, loving the fresh, clean food and will continue with that for sure. Have enjoyed the support aspect of this immensely.”
STEVE – “I lost 10lbs and 11 inches in total. 1″ from the neck, 2″ chest, 4″ waist, 2″ hips, 1′ thigh and 1″ arms – brilliant!!! Will be looking to keep this going!”
SARAH – “I’ve lost weight and my stomach muscles are returning- It was just the kick I needed. I have lost 9 pounds and an inch off most places but stomach 2!! and (can I just gloat slightly?) 3 people, yes 3, who have not seen me for ages have said how fab I look! I have told everyone I know about Zest 21 day plan.”
GILL – “Doing well, have lost about 10 pounds so far so that is great, clothes feeling looser and have had a few comments. Will not be going back to unhealthy eating as would love to lose a lot more. Enjoying the exercises and have made them part of my daily routine. Even managed not to be tempted by the open box of maltesers on the mantlepiece!!”
Our next 3 week programme starts on Monday 13th February and registration closes on 10th Feb so don’t wait around as places are limited. You can find out more here http://zestbootcamp.co.uk/21-day-shape-up-plan/
FEBRUARY 4 WEEK BOOTCAMP CLASSES IN BATH & MIDSOMER NORTON STARTS MONDAY 6th – Registration closes today
It’s not all about the scales
No doubt many of you have started your post Christmas clean up and cut out the alcohol and sweet things that abound over the festive season. It’s likely that you have already shed a few pounds on the scales as you lose water that is stored with carbohydrate in the body. Aiming for inch loss is the best goal as your body drops fat and builds lean tissue which is what we want as that is what is metabolically active and burns calories all day.
Here is a simple way to remember that 5lbs on the scale can look very different on the body
ITV’s BIGGEST LOSER programme with Davina McCall has started a new series this month with the main emphasis on weight rather than inch loss because contestants are so overweight. The new Female Coach is the talented Charlotte Ord who owns her own gym in Surrey and is currently training the England Lacrosse Team. Here is a video of Charlotte using the Ztrainer, my Suspension Training Product back in 2010.
Our next bootcamp starts on Monday 9th and we also start a new online 21 day shape up plan that involves detailed nutrition and exercise support over the 3 weeks. This is available at just £40 for the launch and you can find out more here
Good luck losing those “pounds”
Zita
Merry Christmas and thank you
It looks like today most people are winding down from work and normal life (if not already) and beginning the Christmas celebrations/mayhem – whichever you see it as.
Thanks for all your support over the last 12 months and well done for all your hard work – especially on those dark, wet, muddy occasions that you may have rather been elsewhere. We are very proud of what you have achieved in terms of improved health, wellbeing, fitness and inch loss and we can’t wait to bring you more next year.
Sarah, Kate and I would just like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and ofcourse a healthy New Year. Eat, drink and be merry but don’t forget to do some exercise inbetween.
We are running a one off TURKEY TWIZZLER bootcamp on Tue 27th Dec for anyone who can’t wait until January 9th when our next 4 week camp starts. It will be a 75 min class at 10am in Bath for just £10 in advance – everyone welcome but spaces are limited due to equipment (such as boxing gloves) so please book here if you would like to come – click payment link here
Speak to you in 2012
Zita
How to look good for Santa
CHRISTMAS SURVIVAL TIPS
The average person puts on 7-10lbs extra fat over the Christmas period- wow! That’s mainly because people start over-eating late November and often don’t stop until January 2nd (or later if they haven’t finished all the chocolates!). However it doesn’t have to be like that if you have some simple strategies, so be sure to read all the way to the end as you may be surprised at a fact I will share with you in this article.
1. DO A SHORT, INTENSE WORKOUT BEFORE YOU GO OUT – This will not only get your metabolism revved up ready to burn extra calories, but will also focus your mind into what choices you have. You may decide to have that extra glass of wine or you may think “mmm do I really want to do another 50 burpees just to burn it off?” – up to you really. Doing a quick workout before you go out will also make you feel alive, get the blood flowing to your skin which in turn will make you look even more beautiful at the party.
2. EAT WITH YOUR NON-DOMINANT HAND – If you want to avoid all the “when are you going to stop this health kick – it’s Christmas, lighten up etc” comments, here’s a way they don’t even have to know you’re eating clean … eat with your non dominant hand! Why does it work? It slows you down. When you slow down what you’re eating, you eat less. And when you eat less, you continue to fit into the clothes you want to, feel better, and look better. Simple, yet effective.
3. DRESS THE PART – Yes put on the outfit you love to wear that you’ve been working hard to get back into or just feel good wearing. You will not only look fabulous but you will also be more conscious of what you are eating and drinking. Opt for something more fitted to help control your intake rather than a baggy outfit with “room to expand”!
4. WATER, WATER, WATER – Most people are very dehydrated over the festive period with more consumption of hot drinks, alcohol and non-water filled foods such as fruit and vegetables. Don’t forget we often mistake dehydration for hunger signals so make sure you always have a glass of water first. Also have an extra glass of water every time you have an alcoholic drink, have a glass before you head out the house and also when you get home.
5. DAMAGE LIMITATION EATING – Make sure not to stand next to the buffet table and only fill your plate once, with food that you can identify, eg a vol-au-vent does not appear in nature but prawns, carrot sticks or nuts are in their original state (generally). Don’t touch the bread either, however good it looks.
6. PLANNING – If you know you have a meal out coming up, then make sure you are eating only fish, meat, eggs, vegetables and a little fruit during the other meals that day. Keep planning your regular workouts into your week and if a night out means you will miss your regular evening exercise class then get up earlier that morning and do a short bodyweight workout at home.
What you must remember, and choose to ignore if you so wish, is that when we put on body fat we increase the NUMBER of fat cells that we have and this can never be reversed. All we can do is to shrink the SIZE of these fat cells but we can’t make them disappear. So if like me, you were a fat kid and young person, you will have more fat cells than if you have always been a sporty, slim person so sadly you will have to stick to these rules even more if you want to look and feel good on January 1st!
4 week bootcamp starts in Bath and Midsomer Norton on 9th January http://zestbootcamp.co.uk/
Our new 21 day online Shape-up plan starts on January 9th if you are unable to come to classes so check out this link to hear Zita explain what it involves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1paXFk4MyA&feature=youtu.be
Happy Christmas!
How to get a flat tummy…
CORE
At bootcamp you will constantly be using your core, and we tell you to keep it tight but what is it?
Your core is not just the muscles in your abdomen, but also the muscles in your back and your hips and it acts like a corset around your trunk. It is hugely important to have a strong core as these muscles are responsible for the movement of your body. However, if we look at the abs specifically, they fall into 3 main groups:
- Rectus abdominis – flexes the lumbar spine and tilts the pelvis. They help maintain the curvature of the lower spine. It is often call the six pack because it looks like 6 muscles when well developed. The fibres of these muscles run vertically from your ribs to your pubic bone.
- Transverse abdominals – this is a deeper layer of internal muscles and supports the vital organs in the abdomen. It does help to flatten the stomach and is used in breathing, defecation, urination and childbirth. The fibres of these muscles run horizontally from front to back (they insert into your spine) and work at low intensity, therefore you are unlikely to ever feel the same “burn” you get in comparison to the other abdominal muscles.
- Internal and external obliques – these muscles run down the side of the abdomen and help in bending and rotating. Their fibres have a criss cross pattern.
What do core muscles do?
- Keep you upright. They stabilise your spine, hips and shoulders, so a strong core leads to good posture which aids all movement, whilst a weak core leads to poor posture and very often back pain and injury.
- They provide stability for activities like walking, bending, standing, sitting, carrying. You name it, they help you do it.
- A strong core is a great asset when training as it improves balance, enhances stability and power, all important factors when training, so enabling a greater intensity during exercise when using weights, plyometrics, such as jumping and leaping or doing high impact exercises.
Let’s not forget the pelvic floor muscles which help stabilise the pelvis and support the organs of the lower abdominal cavity, like the bladder and uterus. Engaging the transverse abdominals helps engage the pelvic floor as they have a connection. The pelvic floor muscles act as a support at the base of the pelvic bowl. One of these muscles goes around the openings of the urethra, vagina and anus. Childbirth, ageing, inactivity and chronic coughing can cause these muscles to weaken or become damaged so ladies don’t neglect those postnatal pelvic floor exercises!
The stronger the core, the more advanced exercises can be performed. One of the best things is that it can be easily exercised at home, many exercises require nothing more than body weight as you will know from Bootcamp…
Plank, Mountain climbers,Renegade Row, Side plank, Frog heel push outs, Crunches, Reverse Curls, Dead bugs, T rotations Superman, Arm angels, Y arm lifts etc
NB: A flat stomach does NOT come from doing lots of abdominal exercises – if you have a layer of fat over your abdomen then it will not go away by just doing lots of crunches which is why firstly good nutrition and secondly a good whole body exercise programme will help you get a six pack!
ps Don’t forget that there is a video on the members site www.bathfitness.co.uk, showing you how to do some of the exercises
“Bodies are made in the kitchen”
You’ve all heard the saying “you can out train a bad diet” right? Well it’s true, there is no use going to the gym every day if you are not paying attention to your diet.
Don’t assume you need to load up on plates of pasta and bread to give you energy to exercise. The body requires far less than we stuff in it most days – that’s why we got fat!
Think about your goal and training – if you are a bodybuilder who wants to add muscle bulk then you diet will be different to a breastfeeding mother looking to lose a few pounds. In fact, the detailed approach to bodybuilding which I have recently heard about from Nicola Joyce has been fascinating and I would think a real eye opener to most readers – it requires discipline with a capital D! (In fact Nicola started the sport of body building less than a year ago and has won several trophies)
Most people who come to bootcamp are just looking to lose on average 10 lbs of body fat and get fitter and the principles we use are actually very much aligned to the clean eating of a bodybuilder, although the end result is quite different.
Vicky,who is a new Mum, wanted to get back into her skinny jeans and have more energy so she joined Zest Bootcamp in Bath at the start of September and 7 weeks later she has lost her “baby belly”, dropped 1.5 stone, gone down a clothes size and feels so much fitter. She kept strictly to the nutritional rules, which once she got into the habit of doing have proved easy to incorporate into her busy day. As advised Vicky kept a food diary which allowed me to give her advice on what small changes she could make if necessary, eg after week 1 she said “I’m so hungry” so we looked at increasing her protein consumption at certain times of day.
Remember diet’s don’t work, just a long term healthy approach to eating that you can work with FOREVER!
You can hear what Vicky thought of Zest Bootcamp in this short video and watch the 6.30am campers in action doing a variety of things, such as bear crawls, boxing and press up circles….
Chocolate and Courgette Muffins
The reason I’ve not updated the blog for a while is that I’ve been busy experimenting in the bootcamp kitchen and these are dairy, sugar and gluten free sweet treats that are great after exercising, or as a snack on the run to keep your blood sugar stable.
2 courgettes – grated
4 eggs
12 dried apricots (chopped)
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup rice/hemp or pea protein powder (mixture of 2 or all is nice)
OPTIONAL
Orange oil – just a few drops and cinnamon to taste
Agave syrup to taste
Splash water where necessary
(Optional add 1-2 bananas instead of apricots and less water)
Mix all in a mixer; if you do not have a mixer then blend the wet ingredients first and then add the dry ingredients and mix.
Line a muffin or square tin with coconut oil and add the wet mixture. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees C. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. If baked in a square tin then cut into squares or remove from muffin tin. These can then be kept in the fridge or frozen until ready to eat (but I reckon you might like them too much!)
Enjoy
Zita x
